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Tuesday, June 19, 2018

liquid soap production

Modern Soapmaking

EASY & QUICK TIPS FOR MAKING the best way for making liquid soapLIQUID SOAP SUCCESSFULLY

BY  45 COMMENTS
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When soapmakers jump into making liquid soap, they often have trouble with the process because it’s quite different from bar soapmaking! Boundaries cannot be pushed in liquid soapmaking as easily as in cold process or hot process soapmaking, but there are certain tips and tricks that can help you make awesome liquid soap!
Tips for Making Liquid Soap Successfully
I typically write articles in my head for a few days before I am ready to sit down and start typing it up. This article, however, has been an ongoing conversation with myself for months! Why has it taken so long? Every time I think I am ready to go, I learn something new about liquid soapmaking!

Why Would You Want to Make Liquid Soap?

Before I get into the tips and tricks I have picked up in my liquid soapmaking journey, let’s talk for a minute about why you might want to add some liquid soap to your product line up:

LIQUID SOAP HAS BETTER MARGINS THAN BAR SOAP.

Liquid soap is profitable, no matter how you look at it. Even taking into the account the cost of liquid soap packaging (a bottle & pump), you can make more money selling liquid soap then you can selling bar soap.  Many consumers consider liquid soap a higher end item and will pay more for the convenience and look of liquid soap. Plus, the cost of goods sold when making liquid soap is lower (a much higher percentage of liquid soap is distilled water compared to bar soap).

MILLENNIALS PREFER LIQUID SOAP OVER BAR SOAP.

I have read quite a few articles that sayyoung adults prefer liquid soap and bodywash over bar soap.  While I’m personally a fan of bar soap, when you are in business, you have to cater to what your target market wants. Even if your target is older than millennials, eventually that may change as time passes or you may find that your target market also enjoys the convenience of liquid soap.

LIQUID SOAP IS THE PERFECT PRODUCT FOR A GUEST BATHROOM.

There is a big market for paired liquid soap and lotion sets for the guest bathroom and the kitchen. Even bar soap lovers like me understand that this set is a more elegant solution for entertaining!
Ridgeway Soapworks Liquid Soap & Lotion Set
Ridgeway Soapworks Liquid Soap & Lotion Set

The Process for Making Liquid Soap

There are a few methods to make liquid soap, but the most common method is to make a soap paste using the hot process method. The soap paste looks a lot like hot process bar soap that has not yet hardened. The primary difference between liquid soap and bar soaps is that potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used in place of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for the lye solution.
There are some other differences between the two processes, which I will cover further down.  Once you make the paste for liquid soap, you dilute the paste with water or another liquid. Then, you can add any scent or color that you would like and voila!  You have liquid soap!
Blending the oils and lye solution for making liquid soap
Blending the oils and lye solution for making liquid soap
When making liquid soap, trace is similar to bar soap but thicker!
When making liquid soap, trace is similar to bar soap but thicker!
Liquid soap is typically cooked with a hot process method, and is very thick (as shown).
Liquid soap is typically cooked with a hot process method, and is very thick (as shown).
Shortly after I started making bar soap, I bought Catherine Failor’s Making Natural Liquid Soaps book and read it cover to cover. I was so intimidated that it was nearly a year before I attempted my first batch!
While there is a lot of great information in Failor’s book, I highly recommend Liquid Soapmaking by Jackie Thompson instead. I am a bit of a soaping rebel and like to test the limits of “rules” that I read about.  I have had a lot of failed batches because of that, which is fine (but frustrating). However, whenever I follow Jackie’s process and recipes exactly as written, the soap comes out perfectly.
My first batch of liquid soap was a liquid glycerin castile soap recipe I found on a popular YouTube channel.  While my batch of liquid soap came out ok, it had a high superfat which can cause problems. (Using glycerin in place of the water in the lye solution will also cause long-term stability issues!)  I will explain the superfat issue shortly but I caution you against starting with complicated recipes. If you want to learn how to make liquid soap, Jackie’s recipes are easy to follow and well-tested.

Tips for Making Liquid Soap

Here are some of the things I’ve learned over the last year of making liquid soap, so you won’t have to learn them the hard way:
Tip: You cannot superfat liquid soap to the same degree that you can with bar soap.
The max you can superfat liquid soap is around 3%. However, a 3% superfat is actually very high if you want to add a scent! I have learned this lesson over and over because I was sure there must be a way to make a 8% superfat liquid soap. Unfortunately, my customers like scented soaps, and when you add either essential oils or fragrance oils to a highly superfatted soap, it separates. (And it looks very unappealing when that happens.)
Tip: Some oils are more suited for making liquid soap than others.  
The most common oils used in liquid soapmaking are olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil.  I recommend your first recipe is one from Jackie’s book using those three oils.
Coconut oil helps the liquid soap paste saponify, plus it adds that lather boost you know it for. Other oils that are high in saturated fatty acids like tallow, cocoa butter, shea butter and lard present challenges (mainly, cloudiness) in liquid soap that you may want to tackle down the road, if you want to use them.
Olive oil helps keep the liquid soap thicker, while also being moisturizing, and castor oil works it’s magic in liquid soap (just like it does in bar soap)!
Tip: Most liquid soaps are thinner than what you may expect.
Most of the liquid soaps we encounter commercially are actually surfactant-based products, and not actual soap. Olive oil based liquid soaps will be thicker than coconut oil based liquid soaps, so you’ll want to keep that in mind when using different recipes.
If you decide to make a 100% coconut liquid soap for dishwashing or cleaning, it will be water-thin. If  you want to thicken it, you will need to add a thickener of some kind. Adding a thickener is not the end of the world, but a lesson many people learn the hard way!
Finished soap paste is typically thick and semi-translucent. The next steps are dilution, adjustments, and scent/color!
Finished soap paste is typically thick and semi-translucent. The next steps are dilution, adjustments, and scent/color!
Tip: Liquid soapmaking requires patience!
I am a hot process soapmaker, so I am used to starting and finishing a batch of soap FAST!  But the dilution process in liquid soap works best when you give it time. Be prepared for this and don’t rush it!
It is easier in the long run to add a little water a time to dilute than it is to deal with a liquid soap that has too much water added. So add your dilution water slowly, give it time, and be patient.
Tip: Some additives can cause problems when making liquid soap.
A popular way to make liquid soap thicker is to use brine in place of your water in your lye solution. Like other additives and changes in traditional liquid soapmaking, this method has drawbacks. The biggest issue is that using brine in your lye solution can cloud the liquid soap. It also has the possibility of inhibiting lather.
Tip: Making lye solution with KOH is definitely different than NaOH.
Potassium hydroxide (KOH) does not generate as much heat as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) does, so your lye water will cool more quickly with KOH. You also want to make sure to stir when you add the KOH to the water to help it dissolve. Heads up: making a lye solution with KOH also makes a crackling sound that surprised me the first time!
Tip: Be careful of diluting your soap paste with anything other than distilled water.  
I am specifically referring to what is called “bug food”. Goat milk, clays and other botanicals in liquid soap can create a breeding ground for mold and bacteria.  Even if you choose to add a preservative, some of those additives will test the limits of what a preservative can do. Better safe than sorry!
If you make a liquid soap with a low to no superfat, and only dilute with distilled water, you should not need a preservative.  Be sure to use good manufacturing practices (GMP) to ensure your products and containers do not get contaminated, though.
Tip: Liquid soap almost always needs to be tested and adjusted.
Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is not as pure as sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and it breaks down more quickly. Even if you are meticulous about measuring your ingredients, you may end with a soap that is either lye heavy or superfatted. One of the cool things about liquid soap is that both of those problems are easy to fix after your liquid soap is diluted!
You can use two methods to determine if your liquid soap has excess oil or lye:
To check for excess oil, mix a small bit of your fully cooked paste with distilled water. If is is NOT milky, then your oils are saponified.  Cloudy is ok, milky is NOT. If your soap has unsaponified oils, you can add some dissolved KOH solution to saponify the extra oils.
To test for excess lye, you can use phenolphthalein drops in your diluted paste.  Phenolphthalein drops test a solution for a small range of pH, turning light pink to dark magenta if the solution has a pH between 8 and 9.8.
If you add a drop of phenolphthalein to your liquid soap and it turns pink, you have excess lye. Adding dissolved citric acid is one method you can use to neutralize it, or using stearic acid is another. Both methods and measurements for them are covered in detail in Jackie’s book. If the diluted liquid soap does not turn pink when phenolphthalein drops are added, you are good to go!
Phenolphthalein drops can be used to test diluted liquid soap for excess lye.
Phenolphthalein drops can be used to test diluted liquid soap for excess lye.
Tip: Test your fragrance before adding it to your whole batch of liquid soap.
The last step before bottling your liquid soap is to add fragrance (if desired). Be prepared for different fragrance oils and essential oils to react with your liquid soap! It’s always a good idea to test your fragrance in a small sample of your liquid soap for at least twenty four hours. Some fragrances cause clouding, separation, thickening, or even, thinning. I highly suggest you test a small amount of finished liquid soap with your fragrance before you add it to your entire batch.
Tip: Find like-minded people and don’t be afraid to get help.
Another great way to learn about this method of soapmaking is to join any of the liquid soapmaking Facebook groups! There are people far more knowledgeable in them than myself, and the files are rich with information.  And sometimes, Jackie Thompson herself will comment on questions and requests for troubleshooting!
Happy Soaping!!
Molly

ABOUT MOLLY( READ MORE FROM MOLLY )

Molly has been a crafter for her entire life: making things is really her passion. From jewelry, clothing and ceramics to skin care and soap, if there is a way she can make it herself, she will find a way to make it a hobby. Soapmaking, however, took on a life of its own and it has opened the door to a new career for Molly with Ridgeway Soapworks.

Reader Interactions

WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING

  1. I am glad you mentioned “(Using glycerin in place of the water in the lye solution will also cause long-term stability issues!)” because when this method first became all the rage and I made some batches I found over time separation occurred. Not immediately but over several months. That is not something I wanted sitting on store shelves. I went back to the traditional method.
    Reply
    • I personally added this to Molly’s article during the editing process, because I know the glycerin method has been really popular. Many soapmakers do not realize that long-term, it will separate and have issues. The glycerin method was originally used for liquid soap in labs and other settings where they needed something quickly, to use in-house immediately. It was never meant for long-term stability.🙂 I highly discourage the glycerin method for liquid soapmaking when it comes to products for sale!
      Reply
      • I have used glycerin method for two years now after learning about its advantage and have never had any problem of separation, nor issue mentioned above.
        Reply
        • Anecdotal evidence doesn’t negate chemistry and science. I’ve made batches of soap with 20%+ linoleic acid that haven’t gone rancid, but for the most part, they will and it’s good advice not to do that. Using glycerin to make liquid soap is the same thing. As always, I’m not here to tell you what to do – I view my job as supplying information so you can make the best decision for you. I’m happy to hear it works fine for you.🙂
          Reply
          • What about the 50/50 Water-Glycerin Method where you use water to make the lye solution & then either add the glycerin to the oils or to the lye-water prior to adding it to the oils? Would that still cause separation issues? Thanks!
          • My experience with liquid soap has taught me to test in small batches and wait for a while (weeks) to see if a batch will separate after you add fragrance or essential oils. Another variable is lye purity – the exact same recipe with two different lye purities will potentially lead to a different outcome. Jackie uses glycerin in several of her recipes and I am confident that she tested those specific recipes but again, test your own formulations before drawing conclusions. Patience is a must with liquid soap. Hope this helps!
          • @Molly & Kenna,
            Is it EO’s/FO’s that are causing the separation issues in the Liquid Soap made using the glycerin method? I’ve made several batches of LS using the glycerin method, but haven’t experienced any problems with separation, however my diluted batches are just a few months old. I haven’t used any EO’s that are know to dissolve oils (ie citrus based oils) since d-Limonene would dissolve the soap bonds since it’s a know solvent. Those EO’s caused separations in the LS made without the glycerin method too. So is it the EO’s/FO’s used that is causing the separations issues or is it the glycerin, and if it’s the glycerin method, would using 50/50 method (where you use water to make the lye solution & then either add the glycerin to the oils or to the lye-water prior to adding it to the oils) still cause separation issues? I found the glycerin method preferable since it made the batter easier to mix & it cooked faster, but I’m also not a fan of the Youtube tutorial mentioned in the article. The superfat was way too high & it didn’t look like the lye was fully dissolved either probably since there wasn’t enough glycerin used to dissolve it. So if I use the 50/50 glycerin/water method with a 0%-3% superfat, completely dissolved lye (90% purity from Brambleberry), and don’t scent it with any citrus EO’s, would I still have long term separation issues? Sorry for the long comment, but it didn’t seems like my question was understood. Thanks!
          • Theoretically, if you have a balanced recipe with accurate known amounts of lye (of known purity to account for that), fats, or other unsaponifiables, with a low superfat (using other emollients in place of free fatty acids will also help), and are sticking essential oils (because we can’t typically know what is in a fragrance oil), yes, it should be fine – staying away from citrus essential oils, as well as fir & pine, pepper, thyme, etc. A more complete list can be found in Tisserand’s Essential Oil Safety book.
          • Thanks for info, Kenna! ðŸ™‚ I didn’t even think about the other EO’s you listed or unsaponifables causing separation issues too. NDA’s been really good to list the d-Limonene content of each of their EO’s so I’ll make sure to double check any before I add them to my LS.
      • Ok, but what about adding the glycerin after the soap to dilute the soap? Will it also be problematic for the soap? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
        Reply
  2. Hi Molly I really enjoyed reading your article and I think I’m going to give liquid soap a go. The only problem I have is, I live in Australia and I can’t find a source for Phenolphthalein. If anyone can help me with this dilemma I would really appreciate it, thank you. Keep up the good work.
    Kind regards.
    Jacqueline Drury.
    Reply
    • Hi Jacqueline,
      ANPROS analytical products and services based in the (03) phone area stock phenolphthalein at around $20 for 100ml. I googled “buy Pheno blah blah Australia” and this came up. Hope it helps!
      Reply
      • Hi Grazina,
        Thanks for the info i’ll give them a try and see if i can get it from.
        Sorry for not replying sooner I am recuperating from a pinched nerve.. Had to put everything on hold. I hope to be back soaping soon :).
        Reply
    • Ah yes,it’s not easy to come by. Some chem & lab supply places sell it,but it’s not as cheap as in the US. I’ve always managed without it….it’s really not an integral part of the process.
      Lisa
      Reply
  4. I tried my first batch of liquid soap a few weeks ago.
    I read Miss Failor’s book and even if the information is complete, I could not make something out of it.
    But I tried anyway. And all your tricks are exactly it: it takes time, a good arm, and purified water. Tap water won’t work.
    It is so rewarding though. All that being said, this article gave me incentive to try again, and trust my instincts.
    Thanks for the push!
    Reply
    • I have an article coming up for pH testing soap properly. Lots of folks conduct pH tests incorrectly, which produces inaccurate results (for instance, using a solution for pH testing). Phenolphthalein drops indicate a color change in the pH range between 8 and 10, turning darker shades of pink as the solution becomes more basic. Since CP should sit between 9 and 10, phenolphthalein should always test deep pink in a cold process (NaOH) soap solution.
      Reply
      • Hello Kenna, the same is for the liquid soap too. The test of diluted liquid soap for excess lye with phenolphthalein in the above Molly’s article is for me inaccurate as diluted soaps made with NaOH or KOH will always be alkaline by their nature (8,5-10pH) and phenolphthalein with always turn pink. This test cannot show if there is excess lye at all….
        On the other hand, zap test is more accurate on a soap bar (NaOH) or a soap paste (KOH).
        Reply
        • The phenolphthalein usage in liquid soapmaking is intended for help in the “neutralizing process”, as per Jackie Thompson’s book & process, detailed with Kevin Dunn’s input. This article is just a tiny bit of what Molly learned and wanted to pass on from her experiences in using that book and learning how to make liquid soap.
          I think you may have misunderstood my reply to Lisa, as I stated NaOH soaps will always test deep pink. I have clarified my comment to be more succinct and direct. I have been sick recently, so my response was likely not worded in the best manner outside of a direct answer to Lisa’s question (which is that CP will always test pink and a blog post is coming about pH testing.) Sorry for that!
          Unfortunately, I’ll have to disagree with you about zap testing. I can’t possibly recommend anyone use it or agree with it’s use in good conscience. Zap testing is both dangerous, putting a soapmaker at serious risk for injury, and unhygienic, no set of GMP standards would ever condone such a practice.
          Reply
        • Hi, Peggy,
          I don’t see any other comments from you,and unfortunately we can’t always individually answer the thousands of comments we receive. We try!
          I suggest you snag the book mentioned in this post for recipes and more info: Liquid Soapmaking
          Hope that helps!
          Reply
  6. Very similar to my own experiences. I’m personally not a fan of Failor’s book, mostly because of how its organized. Plus, we’ve learned a lot since it was published. I’ve never had an issue with glycerin, but I do a 2 part water, 1 part glycerin method, so saponification is speeded up a bit, and its easier to stir, but not as expensive and not as fussy (cause heating glycerin/lye solution on the stove….SO not a fan).
    This was my blog post on the subject, from a few years ago.https://milesawayfarm.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/liquid-soapmaking-where-to-start/
    Reply
  7. Hi Molly,
    Thank you for this great article! I’ve been using Jackie Thompson’s book and making liquid soap for about 3 months. It is extremely rewarding to end up with a batch of sparkling, clear liquid soap. So far, I’ve used the paste method, no paste method, made gel soap and have been able to replace my laundry and dish liquid soaps with the built soap recipes that Ms. Thompson provides in the back of the book. You are right about sticking to the recipes. When I don’t deviate, my soap turns out perfect every time. Making liquid soap has been an exercise in patience, but well worth it. My favorite method by far is the no paste method. Thank you again for your timely article.
    Reply
  8. On the subject of glycerin….I don’t use it in the lye solution, but add some to the oils before adding the lye solution. I will also use it as a superfat during dilution. I have never experienced and separation, but should I be rethinking the use of glycerin?
    Reply
  9. Hello,
    What pot do you use to make your liquid soap? I have been using a crock pot but after about ten loads the ceramic cracked all over the surface, inside and outside.
    I’ve seen people do hot process bar soap on the regular pan and stove but with the liquid soap it is difficult because you cook for hours and also need to keep a low temperature right?
    Thank you!
    Carol
    Reply
  10. So uhg, help!
    I’ve got both Catherine Failor and Jackie Thompson’s books and I still don’t know what to do. I started with Ms. Failor’s book/recipe and I ended up with a separated batch a few weeks after making it (nice clear liquid below, a thick, white gunky layer above – and I cooked the heck out of it). Now I want to try one of Ms. Thomposn’s recipes but they all have glycerin in them and I’m reading that’s not good either. Why is this so hard? I just want a recipe that is mild and won’t separate, even in cold. I don’t even care if it’s cloudy (I actually prefer that look!) Ms. Thompson describes the glycerine as a “solvent” isn’t that similar to Ms. Failor’s “Alcohol lye” method (I did not use that method)? I’m so confused and just want to make some liquid soap!
    What to do…need to get this going.
    Thank you!
    Reply
  11. I love lemon scented dish soap.
    I was hoping to make this on my first attempt. Is it possible or too difficult for a beginner?
    Also does anyone have a simple recipe for cold process liquid soap?
    Thanks!
    Reply
    • Hi, Rita,
      Molly is great about popping in with more info, so hopefully she will on this one. She has way more expertise with liquid soap than I do!
      That said, most of the “dish soap” that is sold commercially is actually detergent rather than true soap, so you might be disappointed to find residue left on your dishes if you use true soap. I have seen a few cases where people are happy using soap, especially one very high in coconut oil.
      For recipes, I would snag the book Molly suggested in her post!
      Reply
  13. Hello Team,
    Molly allow me to appreciate your thoughts, thank you for the good work done on educating us as beginner in making liquid soap.
    It is my first time to read a bout your page and i have learnt a lot, Like;
    * Adding oils in the mixture.
    I only new that liquid soap is made out of Caustic soda, Potassium Hydroxide, Sulphonic acid, color, water, and perfume.
    You have really increased on my understanding.
    May God greatly bless you.
    Reply
    • Hi. I made 2 batches of LS. One 100% coconut oil for cleaning. The other a body wash superfatted at 5 %. They both are beautifully clear after dilution, but when I add to bath or washer the water turns white or cloudy😞 Am I doing something wrong?
      Reply
  14. I just threw away my first attempt at liquid soap paste. Then I discovered this page and have ordered both Failor’s book and Thompson’s book as you said you never had any problems if you followed Thompson’s recipes. But with all the negative comments about glycerin, I am concerned about the recipes in Thompson’s book as comments have indicated that all her recipes contain glycerin and there are lots of comments that glycerin causes problems. Then in Feb, 2017, you said, ” I highly discourage the glycerin method for liquid soapmaking when it comes to products for sale!”
    I am so confused. Do I use Thompson’s recipes with glycerin or not? I want to be able to sell my soap so it needs to have a good shelf life. THANKS so much for your advice!
    Reply
    • I have not made all of the recipes from Jackie Thompson’s book, but the recipes I have made did not include glycerin as an ingredient. It has been a while, but i did try a few recipes where you dissolve the lye in the glycerin (i think it was the soaping 101 castile LS) and it did not come out well for me. But it has worked well for others so I did not mean to disparage that method. I suggest you get JT’s book, read it and try her method and recipes.
      Reply
      • I am as confused as Jeannie. In the blog you said “I highly discourage the glycerin method” going on to state that it separates. Then your response to Jeannie is ‘I did not mean to disparage that method” Well ya kinda did. I don’t mean to be rude. I am a beginner and trying to understand LS. I enjoyed your blog but became very confused over the glycerin method. Are you saying it is something you don’t care to do? or are you saying that there is a valid reason not to use the glycerin method? again I am not trying to be rude. I am just trying to understand. Would you mind helping me with this? Thank you so much.
        Reply
        • Saying she does not recommend a method does not mean she’s disparaging it. ðŸ˜‰
          It appears there is confusion between including glycerin in a recipe vs. the glycerin method which instructs dissolving the lye into glycerin rather than water or other liquids.
          The glycerin method was developed to use in situations where the soap would be used quickly. It was often used with cheap oils to clean equipment and tools as well as floors. It was not intended to create a personal care product. Somewhere along the way, someone “ported” the method to body care manufacturing.
          The glycerin method may work on a fluke for some, based on the fatty acids, superfat, additives, etc. But for the most part, it results in a soap that separates, oxidizes, or goes rancid. Because we cannot control the variables that every soapmaker chooses to use and that we know a large variety of those variables destabilizes soap made with this process, we cannot, in good conscience, recommend it.
          That’s all there is to it. ðŸ™‚If you want to use the glycerin method, that’s perfectly okay and up to you. But we can’t recommend a method that will fail for a lot of people.
          Jackie Thompson’s book is, in my opinion, the best resource for liquid soapmaking available. Her recipes are reliable as far as I’ve tried (I have not tried any that use the glycerin method if there is any in her book – it’s been awhile.) And she explains the in’s and out’s of multiple methods, which will help people settle on what works best for them.
          Reply
  17. Kindly give me a details of hot process…
    How much degree temperature has to be maintained from the beginning and till end of the process….
    Reply
  18. Thanks for the article and I request for clear materials used,procedure and observations. But how can i get Jackie Thomson’s Book in Uganda. And Could I Approach You On Your E-mai?l
    Reply
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